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Questions From ReadersThe Watchtower—1954 | November 1
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did not please the Jewish religious leaders or the people under their control. The message exposed the religious groups as hypocrites, liars and murderers, and as doomed to destruction. This message was repulsive to them, its declaration was odious to them, and the bearer of it was obnoxious to their sight. From their religious viewpoint he had no comeliness or desirable beauty. His face was against them in that he repeatedly reproved and rebuked them and their face was turned against him. They saw nothing pleasant in his appearance, held him in no esteem, despised him, rejected him, hid their face from him. The Jewish religionists certainly would not react so violently toward him because of mere outward appearance, and to argue so is to shrivel the prophecy’s scope down to a meaningless issue. It was Jesus’ spiritual activity that made him despised and rejected by the Jewish nation. They could see nothing beautiful in Jesus’ devotion and holiness to Jehovah God, for it exposed their own figurative, spiritual ugliness.
● Proverbs 16:4 (AS) states: “Jehovah hath made everything for its own end; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” Does this mean that Jehovah makes men wicked, perhaps to fit some supposed predestination of his?—D. U., United States.
Jehovah does not create men wicked to fit in with the doctrine of predestination, for that doctrine is a false teaching. (See the May 15 and June 1, 1953, issues of The Watchtower.) And not for a day of evil nor for any other reason did Jehovah make the wicked. To argue so would be to contradict Deuteronomy 32:4, 5 (NW) and Ecclesiastes 7:29 (Le), which texts read: “The Rock, perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he. They have acted ruinously on their own part; they are not his children, the defect is their own. A generation crooked and twisted!” “Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many (sinful) devices.”
The same Hebrew word here in Proverbs 16:4 translated “made” is translated “ordaineth” at Psalm 7:13: “He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.” They are appointed for use against enemies. In the same way, the wicked are ordained or appointed for destruction in the day of evil, a day that will be evil to them because it will mark the end of their existence. As a class the wicked are made to exist or remain till then, Jehovah knowing how to reserve them or make them remain till that time of his vindication: “Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off.” (2 Pet. 2:9, NW) It is this thought that is given by the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 16:4: “All the works of the Lord are done with righteousness; and the ungodly man is kept for the evil day.” The evil day is for the wicked, and the wicked are for the evil day.
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Where Do You Seek Security?The Watchtower—1954 | November 1
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Where Do You Seek Security?
● Commercialism is the thing today; a “what does it get you?” attitude permeates almost all activities. Money and wealth are worshiped as those that will bring security, and the desire for “security” often overrides all else, including one’s love for God, for his family, and even of his own sense of decency and uprightness. Yet this “security” is shaky. Many factors could rob you of it: inflation, crime, war. Is there nothing better, more firm? Faithful men of old such as Abraham, Job and Moses thought there was. So did Jesus and his apostles. Money, or the lack of it, was not the prime consideration with them—they put God’s service and his blessings first. These were treasures stored in heaven, “where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:20, NW) This is real security—blessings from the Almighty God; blessings that are firm, unwavering and sure. They alone have real value. No one can take them from you. They lead not only to contentment now, but to everlasting life. Accept this real wealth. Make Jehovah, not money, your God.
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